DIY Appliance Repair Tips

Wait! Before you pick up the phone to hire an appliance repair in Chesapeake for help, you should be able to keep your appliances running correctly with the help of the tips below.

1. Smelly Washing Machine

The presence of a unpleasant odor in a washing machine defeats the entire purpose of owning the appliance! If you’re in the process of attempting to get your clothing items so they’re clean and fresh, but the unit won’t cooperate, run an empty cycle in warm water with two cups of white vinegar and a half-cup of baking soda to remove the unpleasant odor. This issue frequently happens in front-loading machines. To prevent smells in the future, leave the door open between washes to let it dry out.

2. Inefficient Refrigerant

A warm fridge in the kitchen is never a good sign. A warm refrigerator definitely will not keep drinks cool, and the food inside of it might also be on the verge of rotting! In several cases, your refrigerator will not be in need of professional repair; instead interior could just need to be cleaned. Or the coils on the back of the appliance need cleaning.

Unplug the refrigerator and move it far from the kitchen wall before vacuuming the refrigerator coils. If you cannot notice cooling improvement, it’s best to reach out to a professional appliance repair company in Chesapeake for a diagnosis.

3. Clicking Igniter on Stove

If the igniter on a gas oven continues to click and the burner will not light, look to be sure the burner cap is on tight and properly aligned. You might possibly notice this problem if you’ve had a recent boil over or liquid spill on the stove top.

If that is not the case, the source is likely to be a clogged igniter. To clean the igniter, remove the burner top and clear off any loose particles. You can use a clothes pin to scrape dirt from the grooves of the igniter. If that does not eliminate the issue, it’s smart to not disassemble a lighter for someone without right training; call on a professional appliance repairman to diagnose the problem.

4. Broken Garbage Disposal

A garbage disposal has self-protection in the form of an overload trip. If it becomes clogged, overheats, grinds for too much time, or has another issue, your garbage disposal may just have to be reset instead of fixed. First, make sure the switch is OFF. Then, locate the reset button on the disposal unit beneath the kitchen sink and then press the button. If the button does not stay in, wait ten minutes and then attempt it again. Next, turn on the water from the faucet and then turn the switch on.

If the disposal is filled with food and you hear nothing but a humming noise rather than the grinding of food, you may need to manually turn the disposal blades with a hex key to remove the jam. Next, press the reset button to get the disposal working again. If these tips don’t get the appliance working like it should, please do not give in to the temptation to push your arms down into the disposal to figure things out. Be smart and arrange an appointment with a professional appliance repairman in Chesapeake.

5. No Power from Outlet

In the kitchen or bathroom, your electrical outlets need to be installed with GFCI capabilities in order to protect people against harm in wet areas. If a GFCI outlet isn’t generating power, push in the red “reset” switch to see if that will restore juice.

If not, or if you are trying a standard outlet, be sure that a breaker hasn’t tripped in your circuit breaker box. If you are unsure if a circuit breaker is tripped, switch it to the OFF position and then flip it back onto the ON position. Just remember, safety around electrical outlets is a must. Should you have any doubts, call a professional technician.

6. Wobbling Washing Machine

A wobbling washer will create quite a obnoxious racket and isn’t a great method to get wash clothes. If your washing machine is abruptly banging around, the unit may be broken. To repair this problem, rotate the legs of the machine to lift or lower each corner until it is level. Another possible scenario is that the appliance is not balanced. Lift open the top and arrange the shirts and pants so that they are more evenly dispersed in the drum of the washer.

Trying this can help the washing machine to not need to work as hard. If you do attempt to rearrange the clothing a couple of times without success, do not ignore the issue. You could have a loosened motor or drum mount to fix, which should be easy for a professional technician to fix. But continuing to run your washer with this problem might destroy other pieces and cause a bigger repair over time.

Call for Help

If these quick fixes can solve your broken appliance, you will want to schedule an appointment from Chesapeake Appliance Repair!

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